Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 214: Yu Xingshanhe, two geese shot by arrows
"How dare you, a shepherd and horse herder, insult me!"

Yuan Shao roared angrily and then smashed the inkstone to the ground to vent his anger.

"Dang~"

The ink in the inkstone splashed, staining Yuan Shao's crimson lower garment with ink.

Xun Chen subconsciously shrank his neck, and when he saw that Yuan Shao's anger was not directed at him, he immediately felt relieved.

"Please calm down, my lord!"

Xun Chen whispered, "Zhang Yu has evil intentions. Last year, he watched you and Gongsun Zan fight for Jizhou. This year, he is afraid that you will dominate Jizhou alone, so he joined forces with Zhang Yan and sent troops to Changshan. In the name of stopping the war, in fact, he is helping You. He wants Gongsun Zan to contain you and make it difficult for Jizhou to be unified."

"Shuzi!"

Yuan Shao clenched his gums, his heart filled with anger.

Since he entered the government, the only person who had caused him great harm was the traitor Dong Zhuo. However, now that Zhang Yu led his army eastward, he had suffered a real loss again.

If we do not seize the opportunity to attack Gongsun Zan, and let him recover, it will be difficult to deal with him. Moreover, if we cannot unify Jizhou as soon as possible, it will be difficult for him to withdraw his troops to other states and counties. His plan to unify Hebei and then conquer the Central Plains by following the example of Emperor Guangwu will become increasingly difficult in the future.

Of course, the above is only a disadvantage in terms of the situation, there is also a severe blow to his reputation!

Zhang Yu was just a general of Du Liao, a shepherd of humble origin. If he was allowed to succeed in stopping the war and reconciling, wouldn't it mean that Zhang Yu would become famous by stepping on his and Gongsun Zan's reputation? The higher his reputation was, the higher Zhang Yu's reputation would be, and would be resounding throughout Jizhou in the future. How could Yuan Shao, who valued his reputation, not be angry?

"My lord, I beg you to give me elite troops so that I can go and attack Zhang Yu to avenge him for humiliating my Jizhou." Yan Liang said angrily.

"No!"

Xu You believed that he had a close relationship with Yuan Shao, and said: "General Yan is brave, but Zhang Yu and Gongsun Zan have many brave soldiers under their command. We need to compromise with Zhang Yu temporarily in order to achieve a big plan for next year."

Xu You looked at Yuan Shao and said, "Zhang Yu and the Black Mountain army have nearly 30,000 infantry and cavalry, Gongsun Zan leads 30,000 men, and although our army has more than 30,000 men, it is still inferior to the combined forces of the two armies. I hope you can put the overall situation first and hold back your anger for the time being."

“If Cui Juye had not been defeated at the Battle of Juma River, it would not be Zhang Yu’s turn to be proud now.” Yuan Shao said in annoyance.

It has to be admitted that Jizhou was rich. Yuan Shao had an army of 50,000 in just one year. Yuan Shao had more than 30,000 troops under his command, and Cui Juye, who had previously pursued him to the north, also led 20,000 troops. Regardless of the degree of elite troops, Yuan Shao's number of troops was second only to Dong Zhuo.

Cui Juye was defeated and beheaded by Gongsun Zan. The morale of the army had collapsed. Yuan Shao could only rely on more than 30,000 soldiers. But facing Zhang Yu and Gongsun Zan with a total of 60,000 people, Yuan Shao really didn't dare to turn against them.

"Gongsun Zan has already accepted Zhang Yu's invitation. Now, would you like to accept the invitation and go to Xia Bo Ting?" Xun Chen asked cautiously.

Yuan Shao gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and said in an angry tone, "Now the counties of Weijun are empty, and the Black Mountain bandits are causing chaos. Let's negotiate with Gongsun Zan first, and then return to wipe out the Black Mountain bandits."

In order to make Yuan Shao compromise, Zhang Yu not only threatened with force, but also asked Zhang Yan to send people to contact the Black Mountain bandits near Weijun, letting the Black Mountain bandits cause chaos in Weijun and put pressure on Yuan Shao to agree to reconcile with Gongsun Zan.

Now, just as Zhang Yu had expected, Yuan Shao was forced to compromise under the pressure of Zhang Yu and the rebellion of the Black Mountain bandits in Wei County, and suffered a loss this time.

"promise!"

Under Zhang Yu's coercion and inducement, Gongsun Zan was the first to accept the invitation, and then Yuan Shao agreed to join the alliance.

On April 12, I went to Bo Pavilion.

Zhang Yu set up a tent in an open area beside the stream, making it almost impossible to hide the ambush troops, and the three sides were arranged in a triangle.

Zhang Yu was the first to arrive, followed by Gongsun Zan, who rode a white horse and led a hundred cavalrymen as promised.

"Is the person coming here General Gongsun Bogui?"

He saw a man with an imposing appearance, leading several civil and military officials into the tent, and Zhang Yu greeted them warmly.

"I, Gongsun Zan, greet General Du Liao!"

Today, Zhang Yu was wearing a yellow brocade robe with cloud patterns, and was decorated with a sword and a seal. His looks and appearance were no less impressive than Gongsun Zan's. In fact, due to his youth, he looked a bit more heroic than Gongsun Zan.

"Yu greets General Fenwu!"

"please!"

Zhang Yu extended his hand and invited Gongsun Zan to sit down, saying: "Bingzhou and Youzhou have been allies for a long time. Now, I am ordered by the emperor to lead troops to Jizhou to comfort the general."

Gongsun Zan laughed and said, "The siege of Bohai was lifted today, all thanks to Zhang Duliao!"

"Where! Where!"

Zhang Yu bowed several times to decline, and nodded to Liu Bei behind Gongsun Zan to show friendly communication.

As the two sides were getting to know each other, someone came to announce, "General of Chariots and Cavalry, Yuan Shao, the governor of Jizhou, has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Zan's face suddenly turned cold, and his left and right hands subconsciously grasped the hilt of the sword.

Zhang Yu smiled and said soothingly, "Please sit down, everyone. I will go out to meet Yuan Shao."

Soon, Yuan Shao led his men into the room. His beard was longer than his chin, and he looked intimidating without even getting angry. There was anger between his brows, and it was obvious that he was very dissatisfied with Zhang Yu forcing him to attend the banquet.

"Since we parted in Luoyang, Yuan's chariot and cavalry are still as elegant as ever!"

Yuan Shao narrowed his eyes slightly and sneered, "Zhang Duliao is really a man of few tricks. I must have underestimated you in the past!"

"Don't dare!"

"Humph!"

Yan Liang put his hand on the hilt of his sword and glared at Zhang Yu. But Zhang Yu remained calm and smiled back.

Seeing this, Zhao Yun stepped forward, put his sword on Zhang Yu's side, looked at Yan Liang, and said in a deep voice: "My lord has set up the table, please come and sit down!"

"go!"

Yuan Shao waved his hand and left with several people around him.

Zhang Yu patted Zhao Yun on the shoulder, looking very satisfied.

Since Zhao Yun joined him, he has been working diligently. Especially after Zhao Yun asked why the people were relocated that day, he could feel that Zhao Yun was working more attentively.

Therefore, in addition to the large-scale expansion of the army, Zhang Yu did not hesitate to promote Zhao Yun from the position of Menxia Du to the position of Acting Captain, temporarily commanding the Thousand Cavalry of the National Protection Army. After taking over the Thousand Cavalry, Zhao Yun, in order to maintain the prestige of the armored cavalry, mingled in the military camp almost every day, often practiced riding and martial arts, and won the recognition of the cavalry.

The question of Zhao Yun leading the army was not difficult for Zhao Yun, who was born into a wealthy family and had been a county official. After all, Zhao Yun had led his clansmen in Changshan County and even had experience in leading county troops.

When Yuan Shao met Gongsun Zan, the two sides were full of tension, and almost all of them were ready to fight. However, because they had previously stated that they would not bring armored soldiers, no one got angry, but the atmosphere was tense.

"Ha ha!"

Yuan Shao sat at the left table, Gongsun Zan sat at the table, and Zhang Yu sat in the middle, ignoring Yuan Shao's gaze.

"You two have known each other for a long time, I wonder if you have ever met?"

In order to ease the atmosphere, Zhang Yu said with a smile: "Today, heroes have met. You two can get to know each other to avoid regrets in the future."

"Yuan Benchu!"

"Gongsun Bogui!"

The two of them saluted reluctantly, and the atmosphere was very awkward.

"Zhang Duliao, if you have anything to say, just tell me. My subordinates are busy with affairs!" Yuan Shao said coldly.

"Good!" Zhang Yu nodded and smiled, saying, "You two are the ministers of the country. In the past, Jia Fu and Kou Xun were fighting for power, but Emperor Taizu resolved the dispute and they lived in harmony. Today, the country is in turmoil, and the traitor Dong Zhuo controls the government. Yuan Jun comes from a famous family, so he should be loyal to the Han Dynasty and cannot do things that will hurt his relatives and please his enemies."

"Although I was born in a poor family, I was promoted to an official position because of my military achievements. Therefore, people think that I am aggressive by nature, but this is actually a misunderstanding. I am hosting a banquet here not to embarrass you two, nor to threaten you two, but to reason with you and make you stop fighting."

Yuan Shao looked at Gongsun Zan coldly and said calmly: "I am the governor of Jizhou. General Gongsun invaded Jizhou in the name of fighting against Dong. I am here to protect the villagers."

"Ha~"

Gongsun Fan could not hold back his anger and said, "The post of Governor of Jizhou originally belonged to Han Fu, but Yuan Cheqi used trickery to take it. How can he call himself Governor of Jizhou?"

"quiet!"

Seeing Gongsun Fan's retort, Yan Liang wanted to draw his sword immediately, but was frightened by Zhang Yu's slamming of the table.

"I invited you two here to reconcile, not to argue!"

Zhang Yu looked serious and spoke to everyone in a serious tone.

Gongsun Zan didn't want to fight any more, so he saluted and said, "Yuan's cavalry and Zhang Duliao have come a thousand miles to proclaim the grace of heaven and show peace. Now that Zhang Duliao is here, I would like to stop fighting with you for a while. What do you think?"

"Can!"

Yuan Shao glanced at Zhang Yu and said, "But you must return Bohai County to me!"

"impossible!"

Gongsun Fan said angrily: "You gave me the seal before, how can you take it away?"

Yuan Shao said in a deep voice: "In the past, I wanted to make peace with General Gongsun, so I gave you the Bohai Seal. But General Gongsun started a war and bullied the weak. Now I want the Bohai Seal back, why not!"

Gongsun Zan calmed down and said, "Mr. Zhang said before that the borders are based on the counties and towns that each controls. Now Mr. Yuan has violated the agreement. I'm afraid he is deliberately making things difficult for me!"

It has been mentioned before that Bohai County was well-off, with a population of one million at its peak. In addition to its large population, it was also the only way for Gongsun Zan to enter Qingzhou. If Bohai County was taken away, it would mean that Gongsun Zan would lose the qualification to compete for Qingzhou, so Gongsun Zan would not hand over Bohai County.

"If I had no intention of reconciliation, why would I have accepted Zhang Duliao's invitation and come here?"

Yuan Shao smiled wryly and said, "Besides, today we are here to discuss matters, so how can we not allow you and I to refute our arguments?"

Zhang Yu glanced at Yuan Shao, who was acting sarcastic, and immediately understood what was going on.

Yuan Shao is currently entangled in the issue of Bohai County. He estimates that since I sent troops to maintain the balance of Hebei, he will not act rashly, which is why he is so obsessed with Bohai County.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yu stood up from his chair, held his sword and hummed softly. Suddenly, he heard the sound of wild geese crying in the sky.

Zhang Yu suddenly had an idea and said, "I value peace by nature. Since I'm here to stop the fight, how about leaving it to fate?"

"What do you mean?" Yuan Shao asked.

Zhang Yu pointed at the wild geese flying in the sky and said, "If we can shoot the geese with arrows and hit them, how about stopping the war?"

Yuan Shao hesitated for a moment and said, "Zhang Duliao is good at archery, and he has many sharpshooters under his command, so shooting the wild goose should not be difficult."

Zhang Yu glanced at the densely-flying geese in the sky, and suddenly he became bolder. He said, "I will personally draw the bow and shoot both geese with one arrow, to thank you for accepting my words of respecting each of you and making your own territory the boundary."

The curtains blocked the wind all around, but the sky was the only thing exposed. Everyone looked up at the flying geese in the shape of a human, and could not help but be surprised at Zhang Yu's boast of shooting two geese with one arrow.

Without waiting for anyone to speak, Zhang Yu rolled up his sleeves.

Shi Yi presented a bow and arrow. Zhang Yu took the bow in his hand, put the arrow on the string, and pulled the bowstring making a "bang bang" sound.

Gongsun Zan secretly groaned. He was a good rider and archer. With his eyesight, he had a chance to shoot down a wild goose. But Zhang Yu's plan to shoot down a pair of geese might just be a pipe dream. It was his own Bohai County at stake!

Yuan Shao watched coldly. Although he was not good at military affairs, he was good at archery. Although the wild geese were not far from the ground, Zhang Yu's ability to shoot down both geese at once really depended on fate. Now Yuan Shao hoped that Zhang Yu would not be able to shoot them, so that he could have an excuse to make Zhang Yu's reconciliation fail.

At this moment, inside and outside the curtain, the people around Gongsun Zan, the people around Yuan Shao, and the people under Zhang Yu, such as Liu Bei, Yan Liang, Tian Feng, Guan Jing, Zhao Yun, Xu Chu, etc., were all watching quietly, with different expressions.

Now Zhang Yu looked majestic and majestic. He spread his legs forward and backward, took a deep breath, drew his bow and aimed at the geese in the sky.

Seizing the opportunity when the two wild geese were close to each other, Zhang Yu suddenly released the bowstring, and only the sound of the bowstring was heard in the silence.

"Whoosh!"

The bow is drawn like the autumn moon across the sky, the arrow flies like a meteor falling to the ground, followed by the sound of the arrow breaking through the air.

Yuan Shao's eyes widened, and Tian Feng stopped stroking his beard.

Gongsun Zan, Liu Bei, and Gongsun Fan all opened their eyes wide and clenched the hilts of their swords tightly in their hands.

At this moment, the air seemed to freeze and everyone stopped breathing.

The arrow flies like a shooting star!
The wild goose cried miserably, and was about to fall down after being pierced by an arrow. However, the arrow that Zhang Yu had fired was so powerful that it penetrated the wild goose's trunk and pierced its wing not far away.

After shaking for a while, the goose with an injured wing fell heavily into the sky under the pull of the arrow and another goose.

"it is good!"

Seeing that two wild geese had disappeared from the sky in an instant, everyone inside and outside the curtain, regardless of friend or foe, was impressed by Zhang Yu's superb archery skills and cheered in unison.

"color!"

Yuan Shao was shocked at first, then looked depressed.

Gongsun Zan couldn't help showing his relief. It was worth it to end the war with one arrow. And Zhang Yu's archery skills were too amazing. There were very few people in the world who could compare with him.

In the crowd, Yan Liang originally cheered for Zhang Yu, but when he saw Yuan Shao looking at him coldly, he shrank his neck, became quiet, and dared not cheer loudly.

"Ha ha!"

Zhang Yu laughed loudly, handed the bow to Shi Yi, and said, "Mr. Yuan, Bohai County belongs to Gongsun. You two should go to the border and stop fighting for now!"

"Bring some wine. Drink this now as a token of your commitment!"

Gongsun Zan laughed heartily. If he was allowed to take a breather, he would be able to mobilize troops again and not be afraid of Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao's face was gloomy as if water could drip out of it. He was dissatisfied with Zhang Yu forcing him to reconcile, but he had to admit it.

"please!"

Zhang Yu raised the wine jar and drank it first as a sign of respect.

Gongsun Zan drank it all in one gulp, while Yuan Shao took a sip reluctantly as if he was drinking manure.

"Farewell!"

Yuan Shao put down the almost full wine jar, bowed to Zhang Yu and left, not wanting to stay here any longer.

Seeing Yuan Shao leave in anger, Gongsun Zan laughed and said, "Zhang Duliao's archery skills are like divine skills. If you don't lead the troops to rescue us, I'm afraid I will have to fight Yuan Shao!"

"nothing!"

Zhang Yu smiled and reminded him cryptically, "You and I have received the grace of the Grand Marshal, and now we are serving the Han Dynasty, so we should help each other!"

"It's natural!"

Gongsun Zan seemed not to want to understand and just laughed it off.

(End of this chapter)